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ILLINOIS  LIBRARY 
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https://archive.org/details/entranceexaminatOOuniv 


L.  E.,  August,  1928 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


ENTRANCE  EXAMINATION 


English  Literature 

Two  units 


Since  the  form,  as  well  as  the  content,  of  the  answers  is  considered  in  grading  the  paper,  the  student  should 
car ef idly  read  over  his  paper  before  handing  it  in.  Make  no  substitutions  except  the  one  permitted  in  Group  1. 

A.— Time — One  Hour  and  a Half 


1.  (Two  questions  to  be  answered,  but  for  any  question  a question  from  any  other  group  may  be  substi- 
tuted.) Identify  the  following:  Nebuchadnezzar,  Hezikiah,  Samuel,  Deborah,  Aaron,  Naomi,  Joshua.  Describe 
the  conditions  causing  Achilles  to  stop  fighting  for  the  Greeks  and  the  conditions  which  caused  his  return.  Retell 
the  story  of  the  bending  of  the  bow  by  Odysseus.  Retell  the  story  of  the  wanderings  of  .Tineas  after  the  fall  of 
Troy  and  before  his  reaching  Carthage. 

2.  (Two  questions  to  be  selected.)  What  characters  in  A Midsummer  Night's  Dream  are  more  than  mere 
types?  Defend  your  answer.  Comment  on  Shakespeare’s  use  of  prose,  blank  verse,  and  rhymed  verse  in  the  Mer- 
chant of  Venice.  Name  the  two  women  characters  appearing  in  Julius  Caesar;  what  does  their  introduction  add 
to  the  play?  Quote  one  of  the  songs  from  Twelfth  Night.  By  whom  and  under  what  circumstances  was  each  of 
the  following  uttered  in  As  You  Like  It? 

(a)  “Sweet  youth,  I pray  you,  chide  a year  together  ; 

I’d  rather  hear  you  chide  than  this  man  woo.” 

(b)  “Sir,  you  have  wrestled  well  and  overthrown 
More  than  your  enemies.” 

(c)  “All  the  world’s  a stage,  and  all  the  men  and  women  merely  actors.” 

(d)  “A  poor  thing,  but  my  own.” 

Give  the  most  striking  traits  in  the  character  of  King  Henry  V,  illustrating  your  points  by  references  to  the  play. 

3.  (Two  questions  to  be  selected.)  What  do  you  learn  of  the  customs  and  manners  of  the  times  as  portrayed 

in  Henry  Esmond?  Name  all  the  chief  characters  appearing  in  the  House  of  the  Seven  Gables,  and  char- 
acterize each  briefly.  Retell  the  chief  adventures  happening  to  Moses  in  the  Vicar  of  Wakefield.  Write  a char- 

acter sketch  of  the  oddest  personage  appearing  in  David  Copperfield.  Name  four  incidents  in  the  plot  of  A Tale 
of  Two  Cities  which  are  preparatory  for  later  events.  State  clearly  what  trains  of  action  are  started  in  Ivanlioe 
by  the  Passage  of  Arms  at  Ashby.  Describe  the  attack  upon  Liege  as  given  in  Quentin  Durzvard.  Write  a brief 
description  of  Black  Dog.  Tell  of  Crusoe’s  last  adventure  on  his  island.  Name  four  of  the  characters  appearing 
in  the  scene  at  the  Rainbow  inn  and  tell  what  you  can  about  each. 

4.  (Two  questions  to  be  selected.)  Describe  the  character  of  Will  Wimble.  To  what  part  of  his  life  could 

and  did  Clive  look  back  with  pride?  Why?  Trace  the  enmity  between  Burke  and  Hastings,  stating  the  real 
cause  for  Burke’s  great  dislike  for  Hastings  during  the  latter’s  term  in  India.  Give  an  account  of  the  mountain 
hunt  as  related  in  the  Oregon  Trail.  What  was  Franklin’s  plan  for  the  union  of  the  colonies?  Discuss  his  argu- 
ments in  favor  of  it.  What  are  four  things  you  learn  about  Irving  himself  from  reading  his  essays.  What  great 

traits  of  Lincoln’s  character  are  portrayed  in  his  speech  at  Independence  Hall?  Summarize  the  chief  ideas  you 
gained  from  reading  one  of  Thackeray’s  essays  in  the  English  Humorist.  What  are  three  incidents  recorded  in 
Walden  which  show  Thoreau’s  keen  observation  of  nature.  Retell  what  you  regard  as  the  most  interesting  adven- 
ture Stevenson  relates  in  his  Travel  Essays.  Retell  the  story  of  According  to  Code. 


( over) 


ENGLISH  LITERATURE  (Continued) 


5.  (Three  questions  to  be  selected.)  Give  instance  from  the  Lady  of  the  Lake  to  substantiate  the  statement 
that  “stranger”  was  a holy  name  to  the  Scottish  people.  Quote  ten  lines  from  Sohrab  and  Rustum  and  comment 
on  their  poetic  qualities.  Name  four  poems  in  Palgrave’s  Golden  Treasury  valuable  for  their  revelation  of 
their  writers.  Show  what  each  reveals.  Describe  accurately  three  characters  appearing  in  Goldsmith’s  De- 
serted Village.  Point  out  four  distinctly  Poesque  characteristics  marking  The  Raven.  Name  three  poems  by 
Keats  and  give  the  central  thought  of  each.  What  was  King  Arthur’s  command  to  Sir  P>ediviere,  and  what  was 
the  outcome.  Write  a character  sketch  of  the  Duke  in  Browning’s  “My  Last  Duchess.”  Show  the  indebtedness  of 
the  Prelude  to  the  Vision  of  Sir  Launfal  to  a poem  by  Wordsworth.  Show  how  the  Ancient  Mariner  carries 
out  the  fate  allotted  him  by  the  throwing  of  dice. 


B.  Answer  All  of  the  Questions  in  Five  of  the  Following  Groups. 

Time,  An  Hour  and  a Half. 

1.  Discuss  in  a paragraph  Poe’s  theories  of  poetry. 

2.  Name  five  contemporary  essay  writers  and  give  in  a sentence  what  you  regard  as  the  chief  characteristics 
of  each. 

3.  Compare  the  invocation  in  L’  Allegro  with  that  in  II  Penseroso. 

4.  State  clearly  the  events  immediately  leading  up  to  the  delivery  of  Burke’s  Speech  on  Conciliation. 

5.  flow  does  Carlyle  excuse  Burke’s  failure  and  his  lapses  from  morality? 

Mention  five  of  Johnson’s  works  and  tell  something  of  the  nature  and  the  success  of  each  of  these.  Tell  the 
influence  of  Lord  Chesterfield  and  of  George  the  Third  on  Johnson’s  life  and  work. 

6.  What  is  the  purpose  in  having  the  bleeding  soldier  come  on  the  stage  in  Macbeth,  Act  I,  Scene  2?  By  whom 
and  under  what  circumstances  was  each  of  the  following  spoken : 

(a)  “Ts  this  a daggar  which  I see  before  me?” 

(b)  “Knock,  knock,  knock.” 

(c)  “All  the  perfumes  of  Arabia  cannot  sweeten  this  little  hand.” 

(d)  “My  way  of  life  is  fallen  into  the  sear,  the  yellow  leaf.” 

(e)  “Fear  not,  Macbeth,  no  more  that’s  born  of  woman 
Shall  e’er  have  power  over  thee.” 

7.  Give  Washington’s  views  on  matters  of  domestic  concern  as  embodied  in  the  harewcll  Address. 


